Conventional compounds having musk characteristics have been selected from nitro arenes, polycyclic aromatics and macrocyclic compounds. However, in recent years there has been great activity to find novel compounds having musk characteristics to replace these conventional musks, the use of which is becoming more restricted because of, e.g. environmental concerns.
Already more than ten years ago the first alicyclic compounds having musk characteristics have been described, exemplified by the product Helvetolide® (4-(3,3-dimethyl-1-cyclohexyl)-2,2-dimethyl-3-oxapentyl propionate, trademark of Firmenich SA, Switzerland).